Bravo, Meng-ze!

The concert at National Central University I went to yesterday evening really amazed me, especially my student Meng-ze's (陳孟澤) performance. The last one to go on stage, he played Liszt's Dante Sonata. After he finished, I called out "Bravo!" 

Going to a Concert

Leaving for National Central University to attend a concert. Meng-cher (陳孟澤),  a former student, who invited me, is going to play Liszt's Dante Sonata. He is not a music major, but have passion for the piano.  Last year, for some reason I've forgot, I didn't go. Good that this year I still can enjoy the concert.

This is how the music sounds:

Nice Seeing You Again, Spencer!

After observing Wei-ting's class and having a discussion with her, I left for a lunch date with Spencer, a former student who is studying in the States and came back for a brief visit.

Class Observation

This morning I was invited by Ms. Wen to observe her student teacher Wei-ting's class at 8:10.

Doing What You Have to Do Propels You Upward: "何大一：做「必須」做的事，人生才可更上層樓"

http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5062704&eturec=1

何大一：做「必須」做的事，人生才可更上層樓

2014-11-27   作者：黃惠鈴

什麼是成功的方程式？如何得到幸運之神眷顧？發明「雞尾酒療法」的愛滋病權威、中研院院士何大一博士，今天在NU SKIN大師趨勢論壇「信念決定未來」，分享了10個重點：     

Cleaning the Toilet--"名家縱論／培養體貼 從掃廁所開始"

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/X1/9128692.shtml

名家縱論／培養體貼 從掃廁所開始

2014.12.14 02:21 am

清掃事實上沒想像中簡單。從準備工具、分配工作、執行、到掃完整理，因為細節多，過程繁瑣，要能養成「不怕麻煩」的毅力。看似簡單的清掃工作，實際動手做，收穫比想像中大很多。

Dance with the Trees

After a good night's sleep, today, George and I took a guided tour to Chilan Sacred Tree Garden.

Here I Am, Mingchih Forest Recreation Area

Yesterday morning, George and I planned to go to Miaoli to pick strawberries today. Then we changed our mind yesterday evening and decided to visit Mingchih, a famous scenic spot once recommended by my friends. Now, late at night I'm still here. Upon arriving, enchanted by the picturesque scenery, we decided to stay here overnight, bathed in its unique serenity and beauty.

Eduction in Finland--"芬蘭教育 世界第一的祕密"--from CommonWealth Magazine

http://m.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5012870#sthash.LWOLSXgT.dpbs

芬蘭教育 世界第一的祕密

2011-05-06 天下雜誌 384期   作者：蕭富元

教育，已成為芬蘭最成功的出口產品。人口不到台灣的四分之一，芬蘭憑什麼摘下教改桂冠？

Where Am I?

The Opportunity Cost of Education--"周行一／教育的機會成本"--from UDN

http://udn.com/NEWS/OPINION/OPI4/9120723.shtml

周行一／教育的機會成本

【聯合報╱周行一】

2014.12.10 01:54 am

我問學生：「今天來上課的機會成本是什麼？」學生的回答五花八門，有的說是犧牲了看電影的機會，也有人說是無法打工所損失的收入，甚至有人說是已繳的學費。我再問學生：「既然有這麼多的可能性，到底哪一項才是上課的機會成本呢？」「既然來上課，是不是表示上課是最划得來的呢？」

My comments: According to BusinessDictionary.com, opportunity cost is "a benefit, profit, value of something that must be given up to acquire or achieve something else."

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/opportunity-cost.html

Happy Gathering

(Photo from Mr. Lin)

A happy gathering this noon with Mr. Lin (林煇校長) and Mei-hua (許玫華老師), a former colleague at Chieh-show Junior High School and good friend.

Taiwanese Food in English--"棺材木板？搖擺驢？菜英文翻譯怪 老外霧煞煞"

(photo from http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/5/4/24/n898751.htm)

Does this look like rocking donkeys?

A printout of online information found when I was doing the cleaning today. Happy that I can still find it online.

http://www.nownews.com/n/2009/09/05/715117

棺材木板？搖擺驢？菜英文翻譯怪　老外霧煞煞

2009年     09月     05日      13:57

聽奧5日豋場，世界各國選手齊聚台北，但不少選手如果想到餐廳吃飯，恐怕會出現「有看沒有懂」的情況。許多知名餐廳菜單的英譯非常怪，像是點心「驢打滾」明明是一種外層裹綠豆粉的紅豆餡年糕，菜單卻直譯成Rocking Donkey；而台南小吃棺材板，菜單更被翻成Tainan Coffin Board，嚇壞許多外國遊客。

My comments: Well, just let imagination fly!

Tips for Taking TOEIC--"專訪多益990分考生"

This undated article offers tips for taking a TOEIC.

http://www.toeic.com.tw/enterprise/business/business_people_03.jsp

專訪多益990分考生

【文／Edward Chung】

金融海嘯狂襲全球，台灣終究難能幸免，政府為提振經濟、刺激景氣，忙得不可開交；各行業受到波及困境頻傳，連帶使得勞動階層也因失業疑懼，人心惶惶。就連長期引領職場風潮的科技業從業人員也陷無薪休假、丟飯碗的窘境，大專學生多所採取「延畢」、「深造」方式，躲避失業潮。

目前可見的現象是：許多遭受無薪休假或資遣的科技新「跪」、各行業人員，為謀求退路、甚或尋求事業第二春，紛紛走進補習班充電，為的是學習第二專長、或是考張專業、英檢證照，準備在職場上東山再起。

根據多益測驗中心台灣區代表忠欣公司的統計資料顯示，儘管近半年報考多益的考生受大環境不景氣影響，考生人數未有成長，但走進考場的考生素質卻明顯提昇，不少人的多益英檢成績超逾九百分；在南部地區，考得滿分990分的考生，竟有七人之多。這些「多益菁英」，有半數正就讀大學研究所，為投入職場做好了準備；也有上班族，其中甚至包括一位十七歲的高三學生。

Hi, Yu-jung, Nice Seeing You Again

(Photo from Yu-jung)

Yesterday I had a gathering with a former student Yu-jung, who graduated from NHSH in 2006. It's been a long time since we last saw each other. Yu-jung works for an insurance company now. When asked about her job, she said she loved it very much because she could meet people from all walks of life. I'm really happy for her.

Learning/Teaching Vocabulary in Interesting Ways

This afternoon, an old colleague who is still teaching LINEd and asked me how to make vocabulary learning interesting. My answer then was what first flashed into my mind:

Good Time with Friends

I had a beautiful time with three friends today, all of whom were retired teachers from NHSH. Unlike what we usually do, we had a city tour today (We usually bathe ourselves in nature). First, we enjoyed  "Strange Encounter: 2014 Flower Arrangement Exhibition" and "All in a Knowing Smile: Jade Jewelry Designs by Penny Wang" at National Museum of History. Then we chatted over lunch at Bite 2 Eat, a Pizza & Pasta restaurant. 

"ESL Classroom Routines"--from TESOL Blog

For English teachers, this is an interesting and useful article.

http://blog.tesol.org/esl-classroom-routines/?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pulsenews

ESL Classroom Routines

Posted on 28 November 2014 by Elena Shvidko

Several years ago, when I was doing my teaching practicum in my MATESOL program, I had the opportunity to teach a community ESL class. Most of my students were immigrants who were taking the course in order to increase their proficiency level. The class followed an integrated approach, and, frankly, my coteacher and I found it difficult at times to balance “the right amount” of speaking, reading, and writing. Since for both of us it was our first experience teaching ESL, we were afraid that the course would seem to appear a bit unstructured. Our practicum supervisor suggested implementing classroom routines to help us keep the course more organized. And he was right!

"Taiwan's 'black Saturday' election: A rebuke to China"--from CNN

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/02/opinion/taiwan-opinion-cole/index.html

Taiwan's 'black Saturday' election: A rebuke to China

By J. Michael Cole, special to CNN

December 2, 2014 -- Updated 0556 GMT (1356 HKT)

Editor's note: J. Michael Cole is a senior non-resident fellow at the China Policy Institute, University of Nottingham, an associate researcher at the French Centre for Research on Contemporary China (CEFC) in Taipei, and editor in chief of Thinking Taiwan. The views expressed here are solely his.

Taipei (CNN) -- As millions of Taiwanese headed for the polling stations across the nation last weekend, there was a general sense that change was at hand.

My Dear Students, You Amazed Me; plus Only Time

Today two encounters with my former students amazed me.